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Baby Rabies

pregnancy & parenting

  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
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    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
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    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

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      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

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      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

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      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

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      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

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      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

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postpartum progress

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life Because They Just Might Need To See It – Postpartum Progress PSA
ParenthoodPostpartum Anxiety & DepressionVideos

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life Because They Just Might Need To See It – Postpartum Progress PSA

by Jill October 25, 2016
written by Jill

I saw some pictures come up in my Timehop app last week, and I caught my breath.

There was a photo of the Pantages theater in Los Angeles. I was there for a media event, and I spent the entire symphony trying to convince myself nobody was going to push me over the edge of the balcony from 6 rows back.

Then a photo of me holding my then 10 month old daughter. I had a bruise on the front of my leg from rubbing an imaginary “tumor” over and over, convinced I would need my leg amputated, and that I’d probably die and never see her go to kindergarten.

She started kindergarten this year, and I was there.

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life | BabyRabies.com

5 years.

5 years ago I was sinking, drowning, felt like I was dying. Literally. I was rock bottom in the pit of postpartum anxiety. And I had no idea that I would ever be able to sit here today, and look at that from a distance. I had no idea what it would feel like to say that was something that happened to me, not who I was, who I am. I didn’t think I’d ever feel any differently.

Then I read The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety in Plain Mama English from PostpartumProgress.com, and to say my life was changed would not even begin to cover it. I was not a bad mother, I was not dying. I was sick, and I could get better.

AND I DID.

(And then I got sick again, and then better again. Click here if you want to read through my journey with postpartum anxiety.)

I will forever be indebted to Postpartum Progress for helping me get out of that incredibly dark place, I’ve been dedicated to helping them share their mission with mothers ever since.

So, for the 2nd year, I am honored to team up with Cotton Babies, a sponsor of the Postpartum Progress Warrior Mom Conference and supporter of all moms, to create a video PSA that we all hope will get seen by countless people all over the world who need to know that there is help for all moms who feel this way.

See last year’s video here.

I wanted the tone for this year’s video to be uplifting and full of hope. 1 in 7 mothers (at the very least) will deal with a perinatal mood & anxiety disorder, like postpartum depression, anxiety, ocd, and psychosis. Our goal is for every single one of those mothers to know that she can get better, she can rise up, and that this does NOT stop her from being a good mother. There are so many of us who have made it through to the other side, and we’re here to throw you a lifesaver.

We are more than the news stories. We are changing lives- our own, and mothers and children around us. We will not be quiet. We will keep shouting about this until all mothers and people who love mothers know that Postpartum Progress is here to help, and to smash the stigma and the shame.

On to the video! I hope you’ll consider sharing this with anyone and everyone you know.

I’ve seen first-hand how few major voices are willing to speak out on our behalf. And by that, I mean brands, pharmaceutical companies, corporations. There are SO MANY people who will NOT touch this cause with a 10 foot pole. I have been behind the scenes, pitching them to sponsor Climb Out Of The Darkness and the Warrior Mom Conference. Many will say they choose to focus their resources on causes that “help children.”

You want to “help children”? There is nothing more important than supporting their mothers. 

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life | BabyRabies.com

So it is incredibly moving to me when a brand that I have long loved and used and aligned with steps up and makes a PROUD stance supporting Postpartum Progress and all mothers. I can not thank Cotton Babies enough for their part in all of this. I hope you’ll consider supporting them, too.

Finally, a special thanks to this year’s Warrior Moms who participated in the video.

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life | BabyRabies.com

Jessica is a home schooling mother and dedicates herself to being the best she can be for her 3 children.

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life | BabyRabies.com

Heather is a mother of 2 who also runs a postpartum support group and leads a Climb Out Of The Darkness climb in her city. 

Share This Video With All The Moms In Your Life | BabyRabies.com

Graeme is a Postpartum Progress Warrior Mom Ambassador and blogs at The Postpartum Mama.  (Photo by Maria White & Matthew Mebane)

October 25, 2016 6 comments
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Talk About Postpartum Anxiety, Then Talk Some More
Postpartum Anxiety & Depression

Talk About Postpartum Anxiety, Then Talk Some More

by Jill June 30, 2016
written by Jill

“Ugh. She’s blogging about that again?!”

I don’t know, sometimes I worry that this is the reaction I’ll get when I write about postpartum and perinatal anxiety on here. I worry for a second, and then I remember how many women have reached out to me since 2011 to say that they had no idea they were dealing with this until they read what I wrote. I would say, on average, at least one a week- some weeks are much more than that.

So yeah, I’m writing about it again.

Mostly, I’m writing to tell you to read this Huffington Post piece I was interviewed for- “Postpartum Anxiety Might Be Even More Common Than PPD.” But also, I want to add a little more to what you’ll read in that article.

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  1. I’m currently NOT being treated for anxiety, though I started my pregnancy on Lexapro. I wound up weaning off of it about a month in because I worried it was causing me to feel depressed. I’ve been doing pretty well without it so far, but I do have a prescription filled and ready to go if I feel like I need it. Clarifying this because at the beginning of my pregnancy a few of you asked if I was still on medication and I said yes because I was at the time.
  2. If you recognize this in yourself, put a call into your OB/midwife or a family doctor. This is also a great list of support groups from Postpartum Progress. PP is also a tremendous resource. Follow them, read them, they even have a private forum you can join.
  3. Talk about it. Talk with your friends about it. The thing about this information is it’s here on the internet. It’s on blogs and on Facebook. If the internet isn’t a place you immerse yourself frequently, if your mom and and your aunts are who you’re counting on for mothering advice (and there’s nothing wrong with that), you’re likely not going to know about it. Make this a topic of conversation at moms groups, and with childhood friends over coffee. Talk, don’t just share on social media.

 

June 30, 2016 10 comments
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Postpartum Anxiety Will Happen Again, And I’m Going To Be Fine
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Postpartum Anxiety Will Happen Again, And I’m Going To Be Fine

by Jill June 2, 2016
written by Jill

“Aren’t you scared it will happen again?”

That’s a question a few have asked since announcing my 4th pregnancy. I’m not offended by it. I’m open about dealing with postpartum anxiety and OCD. This is a part of my life, and many people know that.

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I pretty much know it will come back because it always does. I think it was there after my first, and I was able to manage it without a diagnosis because… I guess I just white knuckled my way through it with only one child to take care of.

I know it was the worst it’s ever been after my second. And then? I found Postpartum Progress, and I recognized the symptoms in me, and realized this had less to do with my ability to mother and more to do with needing help.

After my 3rd, it came back, and I knew it. I saw it. I looked it in the face, told it to fuck off, and called my doctor. I was on Lexapro within a day.

And this time, I’m just as prepared all because I KNOW what it looks like, I know where to go, I know I have support.

I’m not scared because I’m empowered. I’m empowered because of Postpartum Progress.

So here I am, for the third year, asking you to help me support this organization that does more than anyone to empower and educate people about maternal mental health, and then moves those people to take action.

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It’s time for the 3rd annual Climb Out Of The Darkness fundraiser, and while I’ll be climbing from the elliptical at my local gym, it’s not too late for any of you to find a team near you or start your own!

If you can’t participate in that way, I would love for you to consider donating to my COTD page. My goal is $500, and this year I’ve teamed up with the lovely Samantha Auburn of Auburn Jewelry to give one custom sterling silver pendant to one donor, to be drawn at random on Jun 30th.

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I’ll leave you with this video I created for Postpartum Progress last year, with the help of their 2015 & 2016 Warrior Moms Conference sponsor Cotton Babies.

Postpartum Progress is saving lives. Please help us reach more people by supporting the Climb today! You can read more about Climb Out Of The Darkness here.

June 2, 2016 6 comments
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Help Us Fight Postpartum Depression & Anxiety With Your iPhone
Postpartum Anxiety & Depression

Help Us Fight Postpartum Depression & Anxiety With Your iPhone

by Jill March 22, 2016
written by Jill

Hey! Real quick, listen up.

Are you a mother? 

Do you have an iPhone? 

Have you ever experienced symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, and/or psychosis? No official diagnosis needed. 

WE NEED YOU NOW. We need your help kicking PPD/A in the ass. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 

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It will take you 15 minutes (and an iPhone) to be a part of the first large scale genetic study of postpartum mood disorders. HUGE DEAL. 

My friend Morgan wrote up this great overview at Buzzfeed. Give that a quick read while you’re downloading the PPD ACT app. 

You can also read the official announcement from Postpartum Progress here.

This was created with the help of Postpartum Progress, in partnership with some fantastic organizations AND Apple. That Apple. Can you even comprehend how amazing it is that we can help countless moms to come with a simple app in the palm of our hands?

I took the survey within the app yesterday. It was incredibly easy. I was chosen to send in my DNA for the study, which I also expect will be incredibly easy. I’ll keep you posted.

Okay, enough typing. I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. Please, please, please download the app, take the survey, and SPREAD THE WORD! The goal is to get 100,000 participants. Warrior Moms, ACTIVATE.

March 22, 2016 6 comments
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Meditate On This – A Video Response
ParenthoodPostpartum Anxiety & DepressionVideos

Meditate On This – A Video Response

by Jill January 28, 2016
written by Jill

This week the US Preventative Services Task Force published their recommendation that all pregnant and new moms be screened for postpartum mood disorders.

I rejoiced! What a fantastic step forward in the right direction, right? It’s really one of those things so positive, so well-intentioned that when I began to hear of negative pushback I was super confused.

There’s a whole story behind the #MeditateOnThis hashtag (that trended on Twitter last night) that you can read about over on Rage Against The Minivan — a guest post by Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress.

And while this was sparked by one individual (hugely influential) person, I can’t say that was the only place I saw/heard these sentiments. Not yesterday, not for the years I’ve been aware of postpartum depression and anxiety.

So this video isn’t to call out that person specifically, though I do sincerely hope she watches and listens to it.

This is in response to everyone who has ever said that postpartum mood disorders aren’t real, and that women are being tricked by Big Pharma into numbing themselves. It’s a response to every person who has told a struggling mother to do more yoga, pray more, eat better, get more sleep. It’s a response to anyone who has ever made a mother feel shame for needing medication to get to shore. 

This is personal, you guys. This is my raw story. This is my truth.

You can read the transcript of the video below. Also, check my Facebook page for a version of the video that is easy to share.

At my lowest point I couldn’t shake the vision of a knife flying from my hands and into my baby’s face. I didn’t want to leave the house because every time I was in the car I had this unshakeable belief that it would fly off the road, crash and burn. I couldn’t bear to even look at flights of stairs without seeing my baby falling over the railing onto his head below.

I was full of rage. For the first time in my life, I not only understood why parents shake their babies, but I had compassion for them. I feared that I could become one of them. 

I feared that I could become one of those mothers on the news. 

If you’re thinking that none of this sounds normal, you’re right.

If you’re thinking all of this makes me a bad mother, you’re wrong.

I was struggling with Postpartum Anxiety and OCD. 

I spent a year after my first baby was born, and 9 months after my 2nd baby was born believing I was just an awful person, not made for motherhood. 

I had no idea that what was happening to me was treatable, that it had a name. I was never screened for these symptoms. 

It wasn’t until I found Postpartum Progress and their list of symptoms of Postpartum Depression AND Anxiety that I realized I wasn’t an awful mother. I was just sick.

Let me be clear. At this point, I’d lost 20 lbs because I couldn’t bring myself to eat. Getting dressed was a struggle. I had a baby who wasn’t sleeping through the night, I was tired, and I was paralyzed by fear. PARALYZED.

And yet, I thought I would try to treat this on my own. Because I “wasn’t the type”  to take pills.

I thought exercise would help- but I didn’t even have the energy or the will power to walk outside. I thought giving up caffeine would work, but I still had zero appetite for anything else. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t do anything by try all day, all hours, every minute to STOP thinking about my baby dying.

On a day when I thought, truly BELIEVED, I was dying from a heart attack, I walked into a Dr’s office and begged him to see me. When he suggested a low dose of Zoloft, I took the prescription and told myself I’d think about it. I’d think about if I was, indeed, the “type” to need to take pills.

Turns out? I am.

Within days of starting my prescription, I smiled so much my face hurt. I enjoyed my babies. I. DIDNT. YELL.

MommyKids1 The medication pulled me from a deep sea of despair where I was drowning. It drug me to shore. Once I was to the shore THEN I could focus on things like exercise and eating better, talking this out, sleeping better.

There are people who would have me believe that I’m part of a big conspiracy by “Big Pharma” That if I just would have tried harder, prayed, done yoga, given it time, that I wouldn’t need the pills.

To them, I say with as much kindness as I can muster, you are wrong.

There are people who are concerned that the US Preventative Task Force’s recommendation that all pregnant and new mothers receive screening for mood & anxiety disorders is part of a scheme to medicate women and fill the pockets of “Big Pharma.”

To them, I say, again with kindness, that belief is damaging and unfounded.

I stand beside my fellow Warrior Moms, survivors of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and celebrate this step in the right direction. Routine screening for these diseases will save lives.

And whether those moms get help from medication OR meditation, is none of my business. I won’t shame them for EITHER approach. And you shouldn’t either.

Because sick moms deserve to feel better, no matter what it takes.

January 28, 2016 8 comments
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This Rope Woven From Hope Is For You, Momma
BabiesCloth DiapersParenthoodPhotographyPostpartum Anxiety & DepressionPregnancySchool Age DaysToddlersVideos

This Rope Woven From Hope Is For You, Momma

by Jill July 14, 2015
written by Jill

The lowest, rock-bottom point in my postpartum anxiety battle was a quiet afternoon, as I rocked my then 9 month old daughter in her dark room, hot tears streaming down my face. I looked at her, and apologized over and over. I said to myself, “If you don’t get help, you will be the mom on the news.” 

1 hour later, I was in my car, driving to fill my prescription for Zoloft- something I didn’t want to admit until that very moment that I needed to get better.

Last weekend I was part of a revolutionary movement. I sat in a room at the first ever Warrior Mom Conference with over 100 other women, and we talked about our battles with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (postpartum/antepartum depression, anxiety, ocd, psychosis). We shared moments of tears, joy, and victory.

And then? We talked A LOT about helping moms who haven’t been helped, who need it the most, who need that one person to come into their life and let them know that they are not a BAD mom. They are a mom who is dealing with an illness, and that that illness CAN get better.

Katherine Stone, founder of the nonprofit Postpartum Progress that put on the conference, made a powerful analogy in her keynote speech. 1 in 7 moms (at least!) will deal with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, falling over a cliff at the edge of motherhood, into a dark hole. It is so important that some, many of us who make it out of that hole, come back around, and throw ropes down to the women who are still in it.

And so, this project I’m about to share with you, this is just one of my ropes.

I’ve spent the last 3 months working with the Warrior Mom Conference national sponsor Cotton Babies to create this short video with the hopes that as many moms, and people who love and support moms see it. I want them to see this rope that is woven from threads of hope and messages of victory and solidarity.

7 women in 3 cities opened their hearts and homes to me. They sat before my camera, raw and beautifully vulnerable, throwing out their own ropes.

Watch, listen, share. Grab hold of that rope, momma. We are here for you. You are a GOOD mother. You CAN get better.

Thank you to Cotton Babies and to these gloriously strong women for making this video possible.

~Raivon~

~Maggie~

~Laura~

~Rochelle~

~Marjorie~

~Erin~

~Dianthe~

If you or someone you love can identify with the struggles these women talked about in the video, and you need a place to start, head over to PostpartumProgress.org. I found their “Tools” to be incredibly eye opening and helpful.

July 14, 2015 23 comments
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We’ve Still Got A Lot Of Fight Left- For My Fellow Warrior Moms
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We’ve Still Got A Lot Of Fight Left- For My Fellow Warrior Moms

by Jill June 11, 2015
written by Jill

It’s June. It’s almost halfway through June! And I feel terrible that I’m just now writing about this, organizing, this, ASKING YOUR HELP for this.

See, I was going to get together a giveaway of some kind, where anyone who donates money to help me support Postpartum Progress– the organization that has helped me, changed me, saved me as I’ve struggled with postpartum anxiety and OCD- would be entered to win cool prizes.

But part of my self-care plan has been saying NO to a lot of things, and stepping away when I feel overwhelmed. So I am stepping away from the idea that I’m finally going to pull off that big, grand giveaway. The one I was sure would help me raise over $500 for Postpartum Progress’ Climb Out Of The Darkness campaign by June 20th. 

I’m simply asking you- YOU- and you, and any of you, all of you? Whoever of you can spare $5 or $25 or more. I’m asking you to just simply donate to my fundraising efforts.

Not because I have jazzy strollers to giveaway or fancy handbags, but because this means SO much to me.

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My postpartum anxiety peaked after I had my 2nd baby- Leyna. Here we are, in the thick of it. A picture I haven’t looked at in years. I remember thinking the answer to everything was to never leave the house again. I truly thought that was an actual solution.

It not only means the world to me because of what I’ve been through (read more here, here, here, here) but because I KNOW so many of you are, have, or will go through it, too.

1 in 7 pregnant & new moms will have a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder.

One in SEVEN, y’all.

I want Postpartum Progress to continue to be the go-to resource for women who are struggling, who are up at 2 am, googling things like “I can’t stop these visions of my child dying,” or “I’m so angry and I don’t know why,” or “Why am I a terrible mother?”

I want their New Mom Checklist to be accessible far and wide, I want their Plain Mama English Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety to get seen by as many moms and dads and caregivers as possible. And I want them to continue to grow, to help parents in ways they so desperately want to, but need funds to do so.

My wish is that you’ll crank up your speakers and watch this video. These are women, families, CHILDREN who have already been helped by this immensely valuable organization.

I want you to share it with anyone and everyone. Not so people will donate (though, of course, it would be lovely if they did) but so anyone out there who is in the trenches of postpartum depression, anxiety, ocd or psychosis will have the chance to see that there is a way through this, to hear that we believe in them and in the fight that is left in them. 

And, momma? If that warrior is you? You got this. You do. There is an entire community out here willing and ready to support you and cheer you on.

Of course, I would also love if you’d support my fundraising efforts. You can visit my Crowdrise page here. Thank you a million times for donating, sharing, and supporting however you can. Even if there’s no chance of winning a fancy prize this time.

 

June 11, 2015 5 comments
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On My Worst Days, On My Best Days
BabiesPostpartum Anxiety & DepressionThe Story

On My Worst Days, On My Best Days

by Jill June 16, 2014
written by Jill

I honestly think I could count on one, maybe two hands the number of times I’ve taken all three kids somewhere by myself (outside of back and forth to school).

Scott’s done it more times than I’d even try to count. He often takes all three of them grocery shopping, leaving me here to work… which, to be completely honest, mostly just means leaving me here to be in silence and not feel the urge to scream.

For me, postpartum anxiety means living on edge. It means not only battling the intrusive thoughts, the obsessive fears, and the rapid and shallow rise and fall of my breath, but also this feeling of the walls quickly closing in on me whenever things get out of control. Obviously that’s something I run the risk of often when tasked with caring for 3 kids in public.

On my worst days, postpartum anxiety means truly struggling to get dressed, and then struggling even more to get out the door. I would say it’s a struggle to get out of bed, and it can be, but most days I have no choice because a 10 month old is calling out for me over the baby monitor, and nursing him in a quiet room is calming.

On my worst days, I run the necessary errands, but beyond that, there are no casual trips to the park or the post office or the library with the kids. An outing to the zoo or the pool are COMPLETELY out of question. No. I can not. Can not even deal with the thought of it.

But on days like today, one of the good days, I catch a glimpse of the future. I’m reminded that I will get to the point where taking all 3 somewhere with me, be it mundane errands or epic playdates, will become a non-issue. Granted, I don’t think it will ever be without it’s challenges, but future-me will at least be able to manage the thought of taking them somewhere by myself without fighting back a deep feeling of dread.

Today, I loaded up all 3 kids and took them to the local gym. I signed us up for a family membership, and I dropped the kids off at the on-site childcare. I hopped on a treadmill, unsure what my plan was. All I really expected out of myself was 30 minutes of movement. I gave myself permission to take easy outs. I started out at a decent pace, but told myself it was only for a mile. Then I could go slower. And after 2 miles, I could stop. I could walk. It was my first day in a gym in years.

As my feet found their rhythm, my headphones pounded in my ears to songs I’ve never heard in my life, and didn’t chose, but that Workout playlist on Spotify is the next best thing to a personal trainer. I kept up my pace. I passed one mile. I started to go faster.

I carried on, it wasn’t easy, but I found I craved the feeling of accomplishment more than a rest at every point that I’d given myself permission to back out.

I finished a 5k in 33 minutes.

I walked off that treadmill recognizing that I didn’t just kick that workout’s ass. I kicked postpartum anxiety’s ass. At least for today.

When I see people talk about how to “prevent and/or treat” postpartum mental disorders, exercise is almost always mentioned. And yes, it is powerful. I am really looking forward to incorporating it into my routine… if I can manage to keep a routine. I am really looking forward to that blast of endorphins, and all the other ways it can help me feel better, and get through this.

That said, I want to end this with a little note about the advice to just exercise PPMDs away.

On my worst days, there was no way I could get it together enough to exercise. On my worst days, I couldn’t even get it together enough to feed myself.

For me, the only way I got through all of that and to the point where I could even consider exercise was with getting real help and taking prescription medication.

Yes, exercise and self care can do a great deal to treat PPMDs, but please don’t ever assume it’s all that you or anyone else needs.

My anxiety meds are the life preserver that pulled me to the shore where I can finally stand up on my own two feet and run like hell from PPA.

Speaking of kicking PPA’s ass, please consider donating $10 or more to my Climb Out Of The Darkness fundraiser to benefit Postpartum Progress! There are great prizes up for grabs. More details here.

June 16, 2014 18 comments
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Help Me Raise Money For Postpartum Progress, Win Cool Stuff From Joovy

by Jill June 11, 2014
written by Jill

I have a confession to make. When I first started blogging, started really getting to know the sphere of parenting bloggers, and got to know other moms on Twitter, I noticed quite a few of them talked about struggles with postpartum depression/anxiety. Like, a fairly high percentage of the women I knew online.

I hate to admit that for a time I thought it was “trendy,” something these women were deciding to blame stress on. God, I really hate typing that out loud. I hate putting that admission out to the public. It’s not that I thought any of them were making things up. I just figured some were trying to latch onto PPD  so they could give their struggles a name. I mean, there were just so many. That couldn’t possibly be true- that they were ALL struggling with some form of postpartum mental disorder.

What I didn’t realize at the time was what a debt I would owe to those women who were speaking out, sharing their struggles and calling them what they REALLY were. I didn’t realize that a few years later, I would be one of them. And a few years after that I would be one of them again. Without them, I would have never recognized myself in this list of Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety (In Plain Mama English).

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PPMDs are not “trendy.” You may hear more and more women speaking out about their struggles, but I assure it’s not because it’s a cool club. I thank God for the women who have come before me, who have shared their stories, who continue to put faces to postpartum mental disorders like postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis.

We are talking about them more because they need to be talked about, beyond the sensationalist coverage they get every time a mom harms or kills her children and/or herself. We are talking about them more because we are part of a movement, because we were helped by the women who talked about them before us.

We are all climbing out of this together. We are reaching out to grab the hands of more women with a PPMD than have been reached out to ever before. We are not going to stop talking about them. We’re not going to stop climbing.

This video of Warrior Moms who’ve climbed out before, who are back in the world again, fills my heart with joy! Mothers, we can do this. If you’re struggling, you can climb out. You WILL get the old you back.

A HUGE thanks to David Gray for letting us use his song “Back In The World Again” from his new album Mutineers for this video. It’s. So. Perfect. 

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Now, we need your help…

whether you’ve been personally impacted or not. Do you know and love a mother in your life? Or a woman or girl who may become a mother? Then this is personal to you.

PostpartumProgressFundraiser

Please consider donating to the Postpartum Progress annual Climb Out of the Darkness fundraiser. On June 21st, I’ll be hiking with my family, and reaching out to other local moms who are also climbing out of their own struggles.

My goal is to raise $5,000 to support the cause.

Will you please consider donating $10? Will you “buy” me lunch? Each $10 or more donation enters you into a drawing for one of several awesome prizes, donated by Joovy. They are thrilled to support this community and this cause, and I’m so appreciative.

Here’s what up for grabs:

toofold

 

Joovy Too Fold Stroller– An all-in-one all-terrain stroller valued at $800

spoon

 

Joovy Spoon– A contemporary walker (which Lowell is OBSESSED with) valued at $100

BoobGiftSet

Joovy Boob Gift Set– A bottle set, including nipples and breast pump adapters valued at $130

LooPotty

LooStep

Joovy Loo Potty and StepTool valued at $60 together

To be entered to win these prizes, you must donate through my page here. If you’d like to join my team, you can also do so at this link!

Since donations will be accepted through the 30th, I will announce winners the first week of July. Thank you in advance for any and all support, for any way you can help spread the word, and for all the love and support  y’all have shown me in the past as I’ve written about my battle with postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

Mostly, thank you to the women who spoke out and climbed out before me, the ones who reached a hand out to me and continue to help me climb out today.

IMG_3569-2

June 11, 2014 14 comments
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BabiesPostpartum Anxiety & DepressionSchool Age DaysThe StoryToddlers

Mother’s Day Sucked, PPA Sucks

by Jill May 12, 2014
written by Jill

Yesterday, Mother’s Day, didn’t go very well, and I’m mad.

The kids fought nearly the whole day, the restaurant we chose for a late lunch served up awful service and sub-par salads. Nothing went as planned. Heck, nothing really was planned. I spent the 2nd half of the day taking a nap in an effort to restart. When I woke, I just wanted to forget it was Mother’s Day altogether.

But it wasn’t the expectations, the arguments, or the long waits for food that angered me. Granted, they agitated me, but what really angered me, what made me want to cry was how badly all that affected me because of my postpartum anxiety.

I. Am. Mad. that postpartum anxiety, something that’s already making motherhood difficult for me, made my Mother’s Day a wash.

I lapsed on taking my meds because my prescription ran out. I took my last dose on Wednesday, got a refill after an appointment on Thursday, but then there was a tornado warning, and then there was Friday (which was just nuts), and then Kendall’s birthday party on Saturday. By Sunday literally all I wanted for Mothers Day was to quickly get to Walgreens to pick up my prescription and a relatively relaxing lunch.

I was so wound up, so jumpy, and everything was so…. loud at that point, that it was nearly impossible to relax. Add to that all the little hiccups that I’m usually able to roll with (or at least not actually lose my mind over), and it was a recipe for disaster.

Then there was the guilt for feeling this way, for just wanting the day to not be about me, when just the sound of my children’s voices made me tense up. There was guilt for not being able to just get over it, to appreciate this day for what it is- another day with my family, which is something I always try to be grateful for… or at least see the silver lining.

Today is looking better. Tomorrow will be even more improved, I’m sure. And the next day? I’m asking for a Mothers Day makeup because I will NOT let that PPA bitch take it away from me.

 

May 12, 2014 48 comments
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